FB : More mature Lobdell in line to fill receiver void
Three years worth of perspective has convinced Lavar Lobdell that maybe he didn’t come to Syracuse with the right attitude.
Back then he was the gem of Syracuse’s 2005 recruiting class – rated a four-star recruit and the 17th best wide receiver in the nation by Scout.com. He was fresh off a season in which he tallied a stunning 21 touchdowns at nearby Christian Brothers Academy.
‘When I first came in here, there was a lot of hype coming in,’ Lobdell said. ‘I admit, I got caught up a little bit in that. A lot of people did. They expected a lot from me, and I expected it from myself. But in reality, I wasn’t ready for it.’
Indeed, Lobdell’s career statistics reveal just how ineffective he has been with the Orange. In 24 career games, the junior wideout has just 13 receptions for 154 yards. He’s still waiting for his first college touchdown.
But there’s Lobdell, perched at the top of the Syracuse depth chart this spring as a starter opposite standout junior Mike Williams. The departure of Taj Smith to the NFL and Da’Mon Merkerson’s switch to cornerback have placed Lobdell on the inside track to get his first collegiate start come August.
The opportunity couldn’t come at a better time for Lobdell, whose teammates and coaches claim is a far cry from the immature player who first came to Syracuse.
‘What I see in Lavar is just a more mature total person in every way,’ Syracuse head coach Greg Robinson said. ‘These first seven days he’s been catching the ball very good, blocking. And I notice him as a vocal leader, and that’s good to see.’
Robinson also called Lobdell ‘one of the best conditioned guys on the team,’ a product of his offseason diligence. But then again, as Robinson stated, the junior senses the opportunity in front of him.
The departure of Smith, who accounted for nearly 30 percent of SU’s receiving yards last year, left a serious void at wide receiver for the Orange. Lobdell, with his ideal size (6-foot-3, 200 pounds) and obvious talent, appears the evident choice for the role.
Sophomores Dan Sheeran and Donte Davis, who have four career receptions between them, represent Lobdell’s main competition. Come fall, highly touted freshman Marcus Sales – like Lobdell a four-star recruit from CBA – will join the fray.
For the time being, Lobdell appears to be acting the role of elder statesman, helping to show SU’s younger receivers the ropes as he himself rights for a job.
‘Lavar’s our leader right now,’ Williams said two weeks ago. ‘We look at him like a veteran. He’s taking control of us, saying now that Taj and Rice (Moss) left and we gotta be better than we were. … He wants everybody to contribute. He’s got us out there early in meetings.’
Strong words from Williams, SU’s leading receiver who had nearly 700 more receiving yards last year than Lobdell has accumulated his entire career.
Lobdell still has a job to win in the coming months before he can go about amending the quiet start to his career. But at the very least, his actions don’t bear much resemblance to the can’t-miss recruit who joined Syracuse three years ago.
‘Mentally, as a player, you reach a point where the game becomes a little easier. You’re able to pick things up a little quicker,’ Lobdell said. ‘Really, just being a consistent player, that’s what I’ve focused on this spring. This team needs that.’
Doug Hogue’s name has eluded most of the talk this preseason regarding Syracuse’s backfield.
But after Wednesday’s practice, Robinson singled out the sophomore running back as a player who impressed during the Orange’s live drills.
‘I thought that Doug Hogue jumped out today and did some good things,’ Robinson said. ‘In the blitz drill, we had him blocking linebackers. I thought he did will in that regard. I saw him a couple times running the football, earning tough yardage.’
Hogue started four games last season after then-junior Curtis Brinkley broke his leg in a win over Buffalo. He rushed for 251 yards on 77 carries (3.3 yards per carry) and tallied one touchdown last year. But Hogue has been an afterthought in a backfield that contains one highly touted freshman (Averin Collier) and two upperclassmen coming back from injury (Brinkley and Delone Carter).
But Hogue has made a case for himself this spring, building on the experience he gained as a freshman.
‘I think that he looks more comfortable, there’s no doubt,’ Robinson said. ‘You can tell he’s been though our offseason conditioning program. He looks a little stouter. He’s in very good shape.’
The Syracuse backfield was a bit less crowded Wednesday, as freshman running back Averin Collier missed practice with an ankle injury.
Robinson said Collier tweaked the ankle halfway through Saturday’s practice. The head coach was hopeful that Collier would be back at practice Friday.
Published on April 2, 2008 at 12:00 pm
